Great news today! The Social Security Administration has published a NEW Social Security Ruling (SSR) in the Federal Register on March 18, 2015, for evaluating interstitial cystitis (IC) in adults and children. The SSR takes effect immediately.

New SSR 15-1p rescinds and replaces prior SSR 02-2p for establishing IC as a medically determinable impairment (MDI) and determining the level of disability for applicants applying for disability benefits. It takes into consideration information about IC recently developed by the American Urological Association (AUA) and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

The ruling makes for fascinating reading and we strongly suggest that every current applicant, those currently appealing denials or patients considering making an application read the ruling in its entirety. It offers a LOT of clues about the types of information SSA expects and needs to approve disability benefits.

For example, the new ruling shares they will look at the previous 12 months of medical records prior to the application. They want longitudinal data on how IC has presented itself, what symptoms the patient is having, how the diagnosis was made, what treatments were tried and, of course, how that diagnosis and symptoms are now interfering with you ability to work.

With the thousands of patients who have tried to game the SSA system, they now act with an abundance of caution and require medical evidence. They won’t take just your statement that you are disabled, nor is your doctors statement that you are disabled compelling enough. They want valid medical evidence. So, they’ll be looking at your medical records, your test results, the signs of IC as seen during a hydrodistention, etc. etc.

Take special note here! One of the most important things that you should do at EVERY SINGLE DOCTORS APPOINTMENT is provide them a voiding and pain diary for your medical file. This provides compelling data to support your claim. It will show your frequency over time, your pain levels over time, your progress or lack of progress with treatments. It adds more objective data for symptoms which many judges have felt were too subjective. It’s powerful evidence that has helped other patients successful appeal claim denials.

In the new SSR, they explain that the following evidence can establish the MDI of IC:

A diagnosis of IC by an acceptable medical source who reviewed the claimant’s medical history and conducted a clinical examination;

IC symptoms, as indicated in the AUA and NIDDK descriptions; and

Medical signs or laboratory findings.

The new SSR also provides guidance in the following areas of adjudication:

Obtaining medical and other evidence;

Arranging consultative examinations;

Resolving inconsistencies in the evidence;

Evaluating claimants’ statements about symptoms and functional limitations; and
Using the five-step sequential evaluation process for determining disability.

We’ll be doing an in-depth review of these changes in the Spring 2015 issue of the IC Optimist magazine, coming in April!

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My Google Profile+ Jill Heidi Osborne is the president and founder of the Interstitial Cystitis Network, a health education company dedicated to interstitial cystitis, bladder pain syndrome and other pelvic pain disorders.
As the editor and lead author of the ICN and the IC Optimist magazine, Jill is proud of the academic recognition that her website has achieved. The University of London rated the ICN as the top IC website for accuracy, credibility, readability and quality. (Int Urogynecol J - April 2013). Harvard Medical School rated both Medscape and the ICN as the top two websites dedicated to IC. (Urology - Sept 11). Jill currently serves on the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Panel (US Army) where she collaborates with researchers to evaluate new IC research studies for possible funding. Jill has conducted and/or collaborates on a variety of IC research studies on new therapeutics, pain care, sexuality, the use of medical marijuana, menopause and the cost of treatments, shining a light on issues that influence patient quality of life.
An IC support group leader and national spokesperson for the past 20 years, she has represented the IC community on radio, TV shows, at medical conferences. She has written hundreds of articles on IC and its related conditions.
With a Bachelors Degree in Pharmacology and a Masters in Psychology, Jill was named Presidential Management Intern (aka Fellowship) while in graduate school. (She was unable to earn her PhD due to the onset of her IC.) She spends the majority of her time providing WELLNESS COACHING for patients in need and developing new, internet based educational and support tools for IC patients, including the “Living with IC” video series currently on YouTube and the ICN Food List smartphone app! Jill was diagnosed with IC at the age of 32 but first showed symptoms at the age of 12.

Interstitial Cystitis Network

The ICN is a health education company dedicated to IC and chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Rated the top patient website dedicated to IC in peer reviewed studies by Harvard (2011) and the Univ. of London (2013), our goal is to empower, educate and encourage patients and providers!